City Council

MINUTES OF THE LAFAYETTE COMMON COUNCIL April 6, 2015 REGULAR MEETING The Common Council of the City of Lafayette, Indiana met in regular session on Monday April 6, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers, 20 North 6th Street, Lafayette, Indiana. President Ahlersmeyer called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm. The Pledge of Allegiance was given to the flag of our Country, led by Boy Scout Troop #348 from Buck Creek. The following members were present: Present: Heide, Klinker, Nargi, Reynolds, Campbell, Brown, Weast-Williamson, Downing and Ahlersmeyer. City Clerk Cindy Murray and City Attorney Ed Chosnek were present. Councilman Campbell moved to approve the minutes of the March 2, 2015 Council Meeting, Councilwoman Weast-Williamson seconded. The motion passed by unanimous voice vote. There are no Claims, Petitions or Communications The Clerk stated the following reports are available in the City Clerk’s Office: Clerk’s Office Monthly-February Police Department Monthly-February Fleet Maintenance Department Monthly-February Water Works Department Monthly-February Water Pollution Control Department Monthly-February Fire Department-Annual Report 2014 Ordinances for Second Reading: The Clerk read Ordinance 2015-03 (An Ordinance Amending Chapter 1.02 of the Lafayette Municipal Code Pertaining to the Ordinance Violation Bureau) by title only on second and final reading. Councilman Brown moved for passage, Councilwoman Weast-Williamson seconded. Ed Chosnek, City Attorney spoke regarding the ordinance. Ordinance 2015-03 passed 8-0 on a roll call vote on second and final reading. Ordinances for First Reading: The Clerk read Ordinance 2015-07 (An Ordinance to Amend the Zoning Ordinance of Tippecanoe County, Indiana to Rezone Certain Real Estate from I3 to GB-580 N 36th Street, Medalist Holdings LLC, Petitioner) by title only on first and final reading. Councilman Klinker moved for passage, Councilman Heide seconded. Dan Teder, Attorney for the petitioner spoke regarding the ordinance. Ordinance 2015-07 passed 8-0 on a roll call vote on first and final reading. The Clerk read Ordinance 2015-08 (An Ordinance to Amend the Zoning Ordinance of Tippecanoe County, Indiana to Rezone Certain Real Estate from R1 and R1B to R2- 920 State Street, Robert & Ellen Haan, Petitioner) by title only on first and final reading. Councilman Reynolds moved for passage, Councilman Nargi seconded. Dan Teder, Attorney for the petitioner spoke regarding the ordinance and a commitment attached with restricted use of the property. Ordinance 2015-08 passed 8-0 on a roll call vote on first and final reading. The Clerk read Ordinance 2015-09 (An Ordinance to Amend the Zoning Ordinance of Tippecanoe County, Indiana to Rezone Certain Real Estate from R2 to GB-3017 Greenbush Street, Greenbush LLC, Petitioner) by title only on first and final reading. Councilman Campbell moved for passage, Councilman Brown seconded. Dan Teder, Attorney for the petitioner. Ordinance 2015-09 passed 8-0 on a roll call vote on first and final reading. The Clerk read Ordinance 2015-10 (An Ordinance to Amend Ordinance 2014-23, an Ordinance Fixing the Salaries of the Appointed Officers and Employees of the City of Lafayette, Indiana, for the year 2015, Excluding the Sworn Protective Occupation and Law Enforcement Members of the Police and Fire Departments) by title only on first reading. Councilman Downing moved for passage, Councilwoman Weast-Williamson seconded. Claudine Laufman, Park Superintendent spoke regarding the need to raise the pay rate for the Zoo Director to keep with national trend. Ordinance 2015-10 passed 8-0 on a roll call vote on first and final reading. The Clerk read Ordinance 2015-11 (An Ordinance for Appropriation of Local Option Highway User Tax (County Wheel Tax) (Fund #249) by title only on first reading. Councilman Klinker moved for passage, Councilman Campbell seconded. Mayor Roswarski spoke regarding the Ordinance. Ordinance passed 8-0 on a roll call vote on first reading. Councilman Campbell moved to set a public hearing for Monday May 4, 2015 at 7:01 pm for Ordinance 2015-11, Councilman Brown seconded. The motion passed by unanimous voice vote. Resolutions: The Clerk read Resolution 2015-04 (A Resolution Approving InterLocal Agreement Between the City of Lafayette and Greater Lafayette Public Transportation Corporation) by title only on first and final reading. Councilwoman Weast-Williamson moved for passage, Councilman Downing seconded. Jenny Leshney, City Engineer spoke regarding this agreement which allows GLPTC to provide transportation for Amtrak passengers to reach the train platform during the Riehle Plaza renovations. Resolution 2015-04 passed 8-0 on a roll call vote on first and final reading. The Clerk read Resolution 2015-05 (A Resolution to Approve the Amended Lafayette Housing Consortium Home Program and Action Plan for 2012) by title only on first and final reading. Councilman Klinker moved for passage, Councilwoman Nargi seconded. Aimee Jacobson, Community Development stated this resolution was to reallocate unspent HOME funds in the amount of $25,000.00 from other programs to Lafayette Transitional Housing’s Singles Rehab Project. Resolution 2015-05 passed 8-0 on a roll call vote on first and final reading. The Clerk read Resolution 2015-06 (A Resolution to Approve the Second Amendment to the Lafayette Housing Consortium Home Program and the City of Lafayette Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Action Plan for 2013) by title only on first and final reading. Councilwoman Nargi moved for passage, Councilman Reynolds seconded. Aimee Jacobson, Community Development stated the resolution was to reallocate unspent HOME funds in the amount of $100,450.00 from other programs to Lafayette Transitional Housing Center Singles Rehab Project and $123,622.00 from other programs to unallocated rental activities. Resolution 2015-06 passed 8-0 on a roll call vote on first and final reading. The Clerk read Resolution 2015-07 (A Resolution to Approve Amend the Lafayette Housing Consortium Home Program and the City of Lafayette Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Action Plan for 2014) by title only on first and final reading. Councilman Brown moved for passage, Councilwoman Weast-Williamson seconded. Aimee Jacobson, Community Development stated this resolution was to reallocate the following; Unspent HOME funds of $50,00.00 to Lafayette Transitional Housing Center Singles Rehab Project, $50,000.00 to unallocated rental activities; allocating $30,000.00 of unspent PY 2014 CDBG funds and $24,000.00 of prior year program income to YWCA of Greater Lafayette for a new domestic violence emergency shelter: and $15,000.00 of prior year CDBG program income to rental rehabilitation activities. Resolution 2015-07 passed 8-0 on a roll call vote on first and final reading. There were no Reports of Standing Committees. There were no Reports of Special Committees. Report by the Mayor: Perry Hammock, Executive Director of the Indiana Bicentennial Commission and John Gibson, State Coordinator for Earth Charter Indiana’s bicentennial initiative, Sustainable Indiana 2016, presented Mayor Roswarski with a plaque designating Lafayette as an Indiana Bicentennial Green-Legacy Community. There was no Miscellaneous or New Business: Reports by Council: Councilman Campbell stated that he had asked the city attorney to draft a letter to the State of Indiana requesting that they not take away the ability in the City of Lafayette’s Ordinance to not discriminate against anyone and invited any other councilperson interested to join him in signing it. President Ahlersmeyer read the following letter to be sent to the State of Indiana Legislature: Dear Governor Pence, Senate President Pro-Tem Long, and Speaker Bosma: The undersigned, members of the Common Council of the City of Lafayette, are sending this letter in opposition to the passage of Senate Enrolled Act 101, also known as the “Religious Freedom Restoration Act” (RFRA). The City of Lafayette is committed to protect the rights of all citizens, regardless of sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion, or creed, and has had in place for over 20 years a Human Relations Ordinance to provide such protections. The City of Lafayette’s Human Relations Ordinance was enacted to provide all of citizens equal opportunity, and to end discrimination and to encourage and promote mutual respect and understanding of each other by all groups and promote and guarantee equal rights to all citizens. Local and national businesses, organizations and faith groups, large and small, and residents of the City of Lafayette oppose RFRA as it makes Indiana less welcoming and less competitive in recruiting and retaining talented employees. We have grave concern that the recent passage of RFRA is not a true representation of our City as a welcoming and inclusive place, and is bad for local businesses, it will reduce tourism revenue and make companies less competitive in recruiting and retaining top talent. The undersigned encourage the Indiana State Legislature to specifically exempt all civil rights laws, including but not limited to locally enacted Human Rights Ordinances, from SEA 101 (RFRA). Councilman Brown spoke in support of the letter. Public Comment: Joseph Casper, 916 Robinson, West Lafayette, Indiana thanked the City of Lafayette for developing a master street plan which includes a bike plan and for the passage of the 3ft bicycle passing ordinance recently passed. Councilman Campbell moved to adjourn, Councilman Brown seconded. Meeting was adjourned at 7:55 PM Minutes prepared by Cindy Murray, City Clerk Complete audio of meeting available in the City Clerk’s office or at www.lafayette.in.gov